Weekend highlights

What a delightful weekend. Mama and I picked up Alfredo and his wife Daniella at the airport Friday morning. They spent the weekend with us and we had a great time with the two of them. Mama got to show Daniella pictures from Alfredo’s time with us twenty years ago. Many of those moments had been forgotten by all of us. That is the value of pictures, though they may only capture a moment in time it is often enough to be able to recall that moment – and much more. Such were the many memories we got to relive this weekend.

Alfredo found my much neglected guitar and played it every evening he was with us. We sang together and Daniella posted one of the videos of the two of us to her Facebook page almost immediately after the song was done. Alfredo told me late that evening that I was now very famous in Brazil. People were asking who this professional singer was and where could they get his albums? Right!

Poor Daniella was a little overwhelmed because she does not understand much English. Alfredo was the only other Portuguese speaker present and he was all too often engaged in very animated conversation with Mama. He divided his time well to keep her in the conversations and as the hours together accumulated she began to pick up more and more of the conversation without translation.

They went to both church services with us yesterday and enjoyed them thoroughly. Alfredo translated to Daniella throughout. No one seemed to mind. They both enjoyed the services because they are very different from the Catholic services they normally attend. Between services we brought Alfredo to the church to get in on the picking the men do almost every Sunday afternoon. He had a great time strumming along with the group. Many good, new memories.

Victoria drove back home on Saturday. Other than being held up in traffic at one point for a couple hours the trip went well for her. My truck is a hair covered mess after she traveled with Kira the entire round trip but other than that is was a good time away for her. She has an interview at Decatur ISD this morning for a bus driver position. Please pray for that.

Brittany and Andrew flew out to England on Thursday. Mama and Brittany had to meet Andrew at the place that was shipping their car to the UK and then get them and the bags to the terminal in time for the flight. It all worked out and we got a note from Brittany the next morning that they had arrived safely – even Lucy. That very afternoon they were able to get their housing arranged and it looks like a very nice house – one they had been praying for for several weeks.

Brittany was able to call Mama this morning and give her some updates. She and Andrew are very excited. They will be traveling to Scotland this weekend to visit a friend from the Air Force Academy who has been living in Scotland for more than a year. I am sure they will enjoy many such weekend excursions in the Mother Land and Europe in the years to come.

Mama takes Alfredo and Daniella to the airport this morning. They will fly to Miami and catch a direct flight back to Brazil. It will be a very sad goodbye.